The Run Home
This weekend sees us enter the final stages of the season where championships, promotion, finals and the dreaded relegation will soon be decided for 2018.
We take a quick look at how things currently stand throughout the leagues as we reach the last few games... Flight Centre Brisbane Premier League: With five games to go, the title looks very much between Albany Creek Excelsior and Grange Thistle. Thistle had been top of the tree for much of the season until defeat at UQFC last weekend saw Albany Creek jump above them, and with a similar run home, the title will most likely be decided by either side slipping up in any of their final five games. Thistle boast a better goal difference to Creek but are now hoping their rivals will drop one of those final five games as we head towards the end of the season. One thing is for sure, it's likely to go down to the wire which will keep things exciting for everyone watching on. UQFC sit in 3rd spot and have a healthy 6 point gap to the teams outside the top four. Finals football ought to be assured unless they suffer from the at times indifferent form that has plagued their season. Centenary Stormers occupy 4th position but have four teams below them just three points behind. Bayside Utd in 5th also have a game in hand, against bottom side Mt Gravatt, which if they win that will jump above Stormers. Fourth spot will likely go down to the final game. Mt Gravatt and Virginia Utd are the bottom two sides and can only really overhaul 10th placed Acacia Ridge to avoid the drop. For the Hawks, that looks beyond them and Viva Capital League 1 football seems destined for Ditmer Park next season whilst the other relegation spot will be between Virginia and Acacia Ridge, who meet each other in Round 19. Mt Franklin Brisbane Women's Premier League: Annerley almost have the title wrapped up and should they defeat 2nd placed Ipswich City on Saturday evening, a single point from their final four games will secure the championship. The Bulls look assured of at least being league runners-up considering the 11 point advantage they have on 3rd placed UQFC. The race for the finals spots though is much tighter with any one of UQFC, Virginia Utd, Peninsula Power or Pine Hills still with a chance of seeing finals football come September. The relegation spots are all but decided with Holland Park Hawks and Park Ridge looking doomed for the drop to Hart Sport Women's Capital League. Viva Capital League 1: The title race is between three sides with Caboolture, Toowong and Annerley vying for top honours. Promoted side Caboolture are favourites to take the championship given their two games in hand they have over their rivals and their rising to the top of the tree in recent weeks, whilst promotion to the Flight Centre Brisbane Premier League looks all but certain. It is quite a feat for a club that only entered the Football Brisbane zone in 2016, securing back to back promotions from Capital League 4 and rising to Viva Capital League 1 this season with the competition restructure resulting from the introduction of the FQPL. Toowong have a 4 point buffer over Annerley in 2nd but face a tough run in to try and secure promotion themselves. Annerley's run in looks a touch easier but the promotion battle between the two will most likely go down to the final round. All three teams should feature in the finals with the race for 4th spot being between six sides. Currently St George Willawong cling on to 4th place on the ladder, closely followed by Ipswich City and North Star. Park Ridge are all but relegated having lost every game thus far in the league. Oxley United face the drop in 11th place at present, 5 points adrift of Western Spirit in 10th and it's between those two as to who will end up departing for Viva Capital League 2 come season's end. Viva Capital League 2: A healthy 8 point lead at the top of the table sees AC Carina heading for the championship and promotion to Viva Capital League 1, having not lost a game in the league this season. Clairvaux occupy 2nd spot on the ladder but have played a game more than their closest rivals, with Samford Rangers breathing down their necks in 3rd as the battle for promotion heats up in the division. A 4 point gap to Westside Grovely in 4th ought to see Rangers guaranteed of finals spot at least, whilst North Brisbane and Newmarket remain in the hunt for a top four finish, just a couple of points behind Westside. At the bottom end of the ladder, Narangba Utd will be playing in Viva Capital League 3 in 2019 unless they can miraculously make up the 13 points they are adrift of 11th placed Tarragindi Tigers with just five games remaining - highly unlikely given they've not won in the league in 2018. The other relegation spot looks to be between Tarragindi Tigers, Slacks Creek and Bardon Latrobe with just 3 points separating them and all three set to meet each other in the run in. Crucial encounters that could define the season for each side.
Viva Capital League 3: The tile race in Viva Capital League 3 is between The Lakes and Brisbane Athletic. Lakes dropped their first points of the season last time out with a shock defeat to Jimboomba Utd, but with two games in hand over Athletic and a 2 point lead at the top of the table, you'd perhaps expect Mark Offer's side to go on with the job and secure the championship and promotion to Viva Capital League 2. Ironically, one of those catch-up games is against Brisbane Athletic, but with that game scheduled for the end of August, Lakes could well have the title wrapped up by then. Athletic should also earn promotion and with the arrival of Andre Bonotto to the club, they possess the quality to see off the challenge of Bethania Rams and Ridge Hills who reside in 3rd and 4th respectively. The battle for a top four finsih is a close run thing as well with 6th placed Logan Metro capable of making it to the big dance come season's end. Although there is no relegation from the division, the bottom two sides will be hoping to avoid the wooden spoon which is between Mooroondu and Logan Village. For the Falcons, it would be consecutive wooden spoon finishes should they fail to make up the points to the Roos above them.
Hart Sport Women's Capital League: The Hart Sport Women's Capital League is set for a great climax to the season with the closest title race out of all the men's and women's premier divisions. Four teams are in contention of winning the championship with Taringa Rovers currently in top spot and only 4 points above 4th placed The Lakes who have a game in hand. Just four games remain and even the top four is far from decided with 5th placed North Brisbane just 3 points off of 4th spot. So promotion to the Mt Franklin Brisbane Women's Premier League will undoubtedly head to the final day with Toowong in 2nd and AC Carina in 3rd also vying for promotion. Pine Rivers Athletic are virtually relegated having only earned a single point from their 14 games and sitting 9 points behind Albany Creek above them. The remaining relegation spot looks to be between Creek, Caboolture and North Pine with 4 points separating the three sides. So with the last handful of league games to go, there's plenty to play for as the 2018 season reached its conclusion in a month's time.
